Ford is laying off about 700 workers who build the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of its best-selling pickup truck, and unlike other recent layoffs this one has nothing to do with the ongoing strike by the United Auto Workers union.

Ford lays off 700 who were building electric version of F-150 | CNN Business::Ford is laying off about 700 workers who build the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of its best-selling pickup truck, and unlike other recent layoffs this one has nothing to do with the ongoing strike by the United Auto Workers union.

  • geogle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    52·
    1 year ago

    I don’t understand the sales argument. It’s my understanding that there is still a huge waiting list for these vehicles. It’s not like they’re sitting on lots… or are they?

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      20·
      1 year ago

      It’s my understanding that there is still a huge waiting list for these vehicles. It’s not like they’re sitting on lots… or are they?

      From what I’ve seen from folks that follow new car/truck sales it goes like this:

      1. Ford announces great product for reasonable price of lets say $45k
      2. Lots of folks sign up on waiting lists at the advertised price.
      3. Because of the dealership model, Ford has to sell/ship the product to a dealership.
      4. Dealership marks up the product $10k-$40k as a “Special Market Adjustment” then installs lots of non-optional options which raises the price by another $10k-$20k.
      5. Buyer on the waiting list comes in to pick up their order and sees what they were expecting to pay $45k now would cost them $85k.
      6. Buyer balks and dealership says “take it or leave it, we’ll sell it to someone else”.
      7. Buyer leaves.
      8. Buyer cancels their spot on the wait list.
      9. Dealership tries to sell it on the lot at $85k.
      10. Dealership does this to dozens of these vehicles.
      11. Dealership lot is full of these highly desired vehicles now NOT desirable because of the increased expense.
      12. Dealership cancels orders for additional units.
      13. Ford concludes “No one wants to buyers want our product even at $45k. We need to sell more gas vehicles. Thats what the buyers are telling us”.
      14. Ford lays off workers making the product that was formerly in high demand.
    • psycho_driver@lemmy.worldEnglish
      172·
      1 year ago

      Could be the striking workers have disrupted component flow enough that these workers were running out of things to do.

      • HurlingDurling@lemm.eeEnglish
        171·
        1 year ago

        Ford lays off 700 who were building electric version of F-150 | CNN Business::Ford is laying off about 700 workers who build the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of its best-selling pickup truck, and unlike other recent layoffs this one has nothing to do with the ongoing strike by the United Auto Workers union.

        Not due to the strike, apparently.

        • Hildegarde@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          1 year ago

          Would a company ever admit to laying off workers because of a strike? Seems like a sure fire way to lose in court.

    • CmdrShepard@lemmy.oneEnglish
      9·
      1 year ago

      Why produce more if you can stagnate production and just charge more per unit? It’s not like you can go buy an electric truck from anyone else so your demand isn’t going to decrease much. This is how OPEC operates when setting fuel prices.